This invention relates to mailboxes, and more particularly to a curbside mailbox which is normally retracted into the ground and which rises vertically in response to pneumatic pressure to a height above the ground to receive or deliver mail.
Typical prior art suburban and rural mailboxes have been designed basically to include a rounded top and a hinged front door mounted on the upper end of a post which is secured into the ground. Such boxes typically require a pivoting flag for signaling that there is mail to be picked up. Such mailboxes are susceptible to tampering and destruction by the elements. Similarly, the mail therein is susceptible to being stolen or damaged by the elements. For example, freezing weather makes the door of such a typical curbside mailbox difficult to open or close. Rain causes the box to rust and the mail to be soaked.
Such typical prior art mailboxes present a traffic hazard to motorists who misjudge the location of the curb during parking. Thus, such mailboxes not only may cause damage to the vehicle but may also be knocked down by the vehicle. Furthermore, they frequently lack a stylish design and do not comport with the aesthetic appearance of modern suburban and rural homes.
In my prior U.S. Pat. No. 3,593,914, I disclosed a retractable mailbox assembly which is reset into the ground adjacent to the curb. The retractable mailbox disclosed in my prior patent includes an open-ended hollow housing recessed into the ground with the outer upper end flush with the surrounding surface. A supporting pedestal is movable by a key triggered electric motor between a retracted position with the outer end flush with the surrounding area and an extended position projecting out of the housing with a mail receiving receptacle in a mail receiving position. The electric motor drive is controlled by a suitable switching system.
The present invention is more compact than the invention disclosed in my prior patent and simpler in design and construction. Furthermore, the total height and crosssectional area of the present invention are less than the height and cross-sectional area respectively of the invention disclosed in my prior patent with a corresponding reduction in the cost of construction. The simplification of the retractable mailbox provided for by my present invention reduces wear and tear and correspondingly increases the useful life thereof.